10 Tips and Tricks to Writing Online Content
Jennifer Reeves holds a Bachelor of Science in English and
an Institutional Certificate in Professional and Technical Writing. In 2013,
she published in Weber State University’s Verbal Equinox journal in scholarly
non-fiction and presented two essays in the university’s National Undergraduate
Literature Conference. She is currently pursuing a Master of Professional
Communication and writing online buyers guides for outdoor apparel. In her free
time, Reeves is working toward publishing her first novel. She can be reached
at jennreeves24@hotmail.com.
As an English undergrad, I
spent years writing papers to MLA (Modern Language Association) standards. I
learned to write 15 pages of text without formatting more than a paragraph
indent or block quote.
And then I found myself in the real world, in charge of a
portion of a live website, writing buyers guides for outdoor apparel. I had to
write web content.
My world of writing flipped upside down. All the rules
changed. Everything I knew about MLA writing and the Chicago Manual of Style was thrown out the window. Citations turned
to hyperlinks. Block quotes turned to testimonials. Arguments turned to
advertisements.
Here’s the most critical thing
to know about web content: most web pages are not read in their entirety. You
need to make your point quickly and in as few words as possible. Why?
Because scanning is the new reading.
Online users don’t read, they
scan. A web page should be written and organized in a way that makes it easy to
scan on a variety of devices, including smart phones and tablets.
Here are 10 tips and tricks to
make sure your content captures attention, holds interest and motivates action.
1. Break your content into chunks
Gone are the days of
double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font. Think of writing for the web as
the opposite of writing your school papers. You need content that’s more
interesting to look at than gray matter. You need to break it up into chunks.
Using sub-headers, lists and
other visual breakpoints, your reader can scan to get the most important
information quickly.
You know what else works? A
bulleted list.
·
Use
bullet points or numbered lists. Long text without any line breaks is a
sure way to lose your reader. Properly label each section.
·
Keep
paragraphs to a four-sentence maximum. A five-line paragraph is good, but a
three-line paragraph is better.
·
Use headers and subheads. Subheads let the reader know what’s coming up.
Subheads not only help readers navigate the page, they help search engines find
your content.
·
Embrace
white space. This is the empty space that surrounds paragraphs, images, and
other elements on your web page. Comfortable amounts of white space around text
make it more legible, and more enjoyable to read.
If you make info hard to find, your reader will move on. Look
closely at how this article is formatted. See the blue headers and bold bullet
points? This gives the reader breathing room between paragraphs. If the information your reader wants can’t be found
with a quick scan, you need to rearrange your content.
2. Sell your credibility
What do you want to be known as
an industry authority for?
Think carefully about the one
thing you can focus on becoming known for. Think about your expertise and what
you offer your audience. Put yourself and your experiences on display.
Here’s how to boost your
credibility:
·
Know your
audience. It sounds basic, but many writers
publish content before thinking about who they’re trying to reach. Your
primary audience is the decision-maker and the secondary
audience is the group of people that you educate and involve to influence the
primary audience.
For example,
if your advertising a children’s bike, your primary audience is the parent. The
secondary audience is the child. Know who your audience(s) is while you write.
Make sure you are appealing to your target(s). Highlight what you and your
website offers them.
·
Show,
don’t tell. Specific, real-world examples
help readers better understand and visualize your messages. For example, you
could write about how you tested the product yourself and give pro’s and con’s.
Or you could compare it to a similar product, highlighting the differences.
·
Don’t
bad-mouth your competitors. Don’t trash others even when you have an easy
shot or would be justified. Instead, use testimonials from your own clients to
boost yourself above the competition.
·
Don’t
just spam your audience. Just because it’s “marketing” doesn’t mean you can
use every post to sell something. Respect your audience and only make offers
when it serves them and is strategic for your business.
·
Cite your
sources. If you’re quoting someone or are referring to something in your
content, always cite
your source. Hot link to the original story and/or the original
author.
Don’t hold anything back from
your audience. Let them see exactly how you do business by revealing what your
processes and perspectives are. Show them that you’re a real authority by
sharing everything you know. It also indicates you have their best interests in
mind.
3. Keep it simple
Don’t mistake simple for
stupid. Your readers are not stupid. In fact, they’re probably smarter than you
give them credit for. But smart people are usually busy people, looking for a
smart solution.
This is where simplicity
shines. Does your content hold the answer they’re looking for? Here’s how to get simple:
·
Avoid
excess punctuation. If there’s more than one comma, the sentence is hard to
scan and can turn off a reader. You shouldn’t punctuate improperly, but keep
your sentences short.
·
Keep
sentences short. Skip unnecessary words. Enough said.
·
Don’t
complicate your content with jargon. The web is for everyone—not just
technical experts. Make sure information is understandable for the educated
non-specialist. Provide hyperlinks to other
articles where readers can get more information.
·
Use plain
English. Spell out acronyms on first
reference. Avoid insider language. Explain complex or niche terms. Don’t
use words like “equanimity” or “obfuscate” when words like “calm” or “confuse”
will do.
Even if your intended audience
is a technical one, using plain language is necessary so pages will show up in
searches and can be understood by everyday users. Don’t just try to make
yourself sound smart. Your content should have a broad appeal and use easy-to-understand
language.
4. Be transparent
If you get a kick out of creating
content, it will show. It will engage your audience because it’s high energy.
It will be focused. It will address things the reader cares about in a way that
shows you care about it too.
Here are other ways to be transparent:
·
Have an
opinion. It demonstrates that you have an uncommon depth of knowledge in
your industry. It’s attractive to clients who want to work with the best in the
field.
·
Be
reachable. Respond to questions on your site. Be involved in related online
conversations. Have contact info available so readers can contact you with
questions, or to get more information.
Convey your purpose and support
your purpose. It’s not enough to just state the facts—you should let people
know what you stand for.
5. Get to the point—quickly
Key points should be mentioned
high up in a page so all users get the main message of the content. The most
important parts of your content should be at the top.
Web readers have short
attention spans. They’ll decide whether your site has the information they need
in seconds. Here’s how to get to
the point:
·
Write in
inverted pyramid style. Structure your content like an upside-down pyramid or cone.
The most important messages go at the top of the page. Then, gradually drill
down to the more specific, supporting information.
·
“W5”
questions. Answer the who, when, where, why and what as fast as you can.
Also, include where the reader can find more information.
·
Think
like your reader. Look at your content from a first-timer’s point of view.
What questions would you have? What background information would be helpful? What
is left out? Think like your reader.
·
Ask
someone you know to look it over and ask questions. Look at other websites
in your topic and see what other pros are doing.
If you’re like me and used to taking 15 pages to build up
to your point, this won’t come easy. You’ll need to trim your content
everywhere.
6. Use images, video and other visuals
Strategically positioned images
not only break up text, but can add credibility and value—if they are clearly related to the content. Other great visuals
are tables, charts and videos.
·
Use your
own visuals. Stock photos won’t show off how unique you are. Take your own
photos and video. Do not steal images from other sites.
·
Use
appropriate images. An easy-to-read chart or graph can also do a better job
of explaining a complex topic than text alone. You might want to have fun with
your content and add some humor.
·
Incorporate
multimedia. Don’t be afraid to use a picture, an infographic or a video to emphasize
something important.
·
Use at
least one image per page. Spice things up with your images. Use them
frequently, but don’t get carried away. Relevance is key.
Web content works best in
conjunction with the visual elements on the page. Make your words work with the
images as you strive for a consistent tone and messaging with both.
7. Think like a search engine
Search engines don’t read your
content—they index it. Your website’s readers
are the ones who do the actual reading. If your content is so over-optimized that the meaning is lost, you have
also lost your reader.
·
Make
phrases search-friendly. What search terms would a reader most likely type
into Google? Include those terms in headlines and subheads.
·
Layer
website content. Help readers find more
great content by hyperlinking certain words and phrases to other relevant
resources, especially those on your own website. This keeps readers engaged and
moving through your site.
·
Update your links. Revisit
your own links often, especially older ones. Make sure they are still working
and directing your reader where they’re supposed to.
If you stuff keywords into your
copy you’ll negatively impact the readability of your content, its conversion
rate and how well it ranks in the search engine. It diminishes your credibility
and you risk losing authority over your topic.
8. Spell check and proofread
Proper spelling and correct
grammar are still the most important factors when it comes to publishing
(online or offline). There’s nothing worse than spelling and grammatical errors
in professional writing.
·
Use spell
check. Writing might not be for everyone, but spell check is. If you are
not in a word processor and need extra help, an online dictionary works too.
·
Use a
style guide. I recommend using the Associated
Press Stylebook 2016. A style book will keep your content consistent. Look
up anything you’re not sure of. (This has been hard for me to get used to,
too.)
Reviewing the copy for grammar
and spelling errors makes sure you prevent an embarrassing mistake from
distracting readers from otherwise strong content.
9. Capture their interest
Keep your content action
packed, but conversational. Words that pack a punch include verbs in the
present tense and short nouns that leave readers with a distinct message.
"Call us today" is more active than "If you would like to get in
touch with us, give us a call sometime." See the difference?
·
Stay informal.
Web copy should be accessible and conversational. Address your web visitors
directly. Use the word “you” to address your reader.
·
Use
strong words. Words that pack a punch include verbs in the present tense
and short nouns that leave readers with a distinct message. Instead of “sales
climbing” say “sales rocketing.” Instead of “cutting costs” try “killing
costs.”
·
Stick to
active voice. Use active rather than passive verbs, and specify the subject
of the sentence. Active voice is more direct. It’s the difference between “You
can do it” and “It can be done.”
·
Use
numbers. Don’t be afraid to toss in a good statistic or a research fact
relevant to your content. Data and figures add interest and credibility. The
more recent, the better.
These small changes won’t add
to your word count, but they will make your content writing more exciting and
engaging. Well-written content that’s optimized for the web rises to the top of
search results while holding readers’ attentions.
10. Call to Action
Present a clear call to action
and an incentive to act. Web copy should not be so short that it skips any of
those steps.
Good webpages end with a call
to action. Keep these calls-to-action brief, and begin them with action verbs
like “download,” “share,” “join,” “sign up,” “learn more” or “watch.” Here’s
how you can get your reader to act:
·
Consider
offering something for free. Depending on the nature of your market, offer
your reader something valuable at no cost. It could be a free webinar, free
download or obligation-free phone call.
·
Don’t
hard sell. A simple mention of “here’s what I’ve got, here’s what it will
do for you, and here’s how to get it” will go a long way. This strategy also helps
direct readers to other areas of your website and encourages them to promote
your content to others.
To really draw the reader’s
attention, try designing a box or button for the call-to-action. And of course,
make sure to include a hyperlink that works.
Conclusion
While these are my best tips and tricks for writing online
content, there are more that are job specific. Every company will have a
different way of doing things.
I interviewed Melanie Ott, Managing Editor for Active
Junky (www.activejunky.com) about how she runs the online content of her
company’s website.
“Our
tone and voice is casual,” Melanie said. “We use outdoorsy slang and phrases
where appropriate, and we use contractions. That was hard to work into my
writing.”
Active Junky is a major retailer of outdoor clothing and
gear. “A few months ago, Active Junky went to a
local ski resort to test ski and ride gear to create some Buyer's Guides,”
Melanie explained. “Our freelance writer/tester puts together the majority of
the guide, but part of my job is to create content for the product pages.”
Melanie is also a veteran of academic writing and was a writing
tutor at a university before being hired at Active Junky. She admitted it wasn’t
as easy of a transition as she thought. “We don’t use the Oxford comma,” she
frowned. “I died a bit inside from that one.”
Print this article and keep it handy next time you find
yourself building a website or creating content. Or maybe you’re like me and
starting a new job in unknown writing territory. Examine your content closely
with these tips and tricks and you’ll see where you can improve. If you
practice and learn from your mistakes, writing online content will get easier. That’s
a promise.
Sources
How to Write Web Copy and
Social Media Content: Spruce up your website copy, blog posts and social media
content
By Paul Lima (Print. 2014)
10 Online Content Writing Rules
by Nina Khoury
10 Rules for Writing Effective
Web Content
by
Catherine Lovering
The 11 Golden Rules of Writing
Content for Your Website
by Sarah Parsons
When you’re writing web
content, keep these things in mind
by Neha Koul
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